KISSmetrics: Misguided Marketing: How Do You Get the Most Value from Facebook? |
| Misguided Marketing: How Do You Get the Most Value from Facebook? Posted: 06 Dec 2013 10:18 AM PST When your marketing campaign fails to deliver value, who's to blame – the marketer or the platform? The answer could fall into both camps. Marketers who concentrate more on the creative than the target audience could get a lot of likes but very little return on investment. Likewise, putting more focus on the platform tends to make customers feel detached and uninterested in the same stale, boring ad. So what's a marketer to do? A recent Forrester research survey asked just such a question: "How satisfied are you with the business value your company has achieved by using [each of the following] marketing channels?" With 1 being "very dissatisfied" and 5 being "very satisfied," the results fell mostly into the average category, with a few notable exceptions. What's most important to note is which marketing platform was at the very bottom – Facebook. Facebook marketing scores at the bottom of the list when it comes to measuring value. Granted, a .30% difference isn't a drastic change, but it still begs the question: Why is this happening? And more importantly, what can we do about it? Why Is This Happening? To help answer the first question, Forrester's own Nate Elliott surmised two key reasons:
The Fault Lies with Both GroupsBoth the platform and the marketer are to blame for the lack of value. The platform is responsible because, at its core, Facebook was never really built for advertising. It was made to facilitate interactions and communication. Once major brands started seeing discussions taking place, they latched on, and Facebook had to change its focus. Right now, it's treading a very delicate balance between being a social network and being an ad network, trying desperately to juggle both to each one's satisfaction, and being successful at neither. Furthermore, in its drive to monetize "big data," it throws up some vague advertising guidelines, false promises, and hopes for the best. There's no clear statement on which types of advertisers would benefit most from the program or if there are any prerequisites (sites with X number of likes and Y number of fans). There are over 15 million brands on Facebook. Why are there only two success stories being featured? Marketers Aren't Off the HookThis exact same strategy was played early on when Google AdWords entered the scene years ago. The "throw money at it and hope people stick around" method gets less and less popular the more choices people have. Now they can read reviews (the top position on the chart), ask a friend, sign up for the newsletter, and comparison shop. That means companies can no longer capture and hold attention in the traditional broadcast sense. They need to start communicating with customers and discussing – answering issues, sharing entertaining tidbits, asking questions, and getting involved. For many marketers, especially those not seeing a good return on their investment in Facebook, there's a big disconnect between the ad they place, the audience they target, and the landing page they direct them to. Facebook is, at its core, a social machine. Therefore, the ad has to match the platform. It doesn't work for the marketer to try to wrangle the social machine into something it's not. So, should you abandon Facebook as an advertising channel? Absolutely not. Never in the history of the web has one company been able to gather so much data from willing customers and leverage it to its fullest extent. But as a company and a brand, it's still suffering some growing pains. It's like a clumsy toddler taking its first awkward steps. Marketers who get results from a wobbly system like this are the ones who match and merge the platform with the message. Sure, this might take some creative thinking, but that's where advertisers shine! What Can We Do about It?No matter what type of ad you choose, there are a few rules to follow to get the most out of it, on Facebook and elsewhere: Keep Status Updates Simple – You don't have to reinvent the wheel each time you produce content. A single status update gets more engagement than a status with a link, or a link with a thumbnail, according to retail studies. Even if you think no one is listening, a simple question can be all it takes to ignite some discussion. For example, if you are a personal trainer, you could post workout ideas regularly, but your Facebook fans also might like:
Work-it-Out gym regularly posts healthy recipes on its Facebook page. Realize There Is Always Room for Improvement – Few companies are measuring their social media engagement levels. Do you know the impact your ads are having and if they are reaching the people you want to reach? Tools like SproutSocial can help you measure which posts get the highest levels of participation and sharing (and optionally segment social profiles into different groups), so you'll better understand who responds to what. And sometimes businesses make the mistake of either getting too personal with their fans or selling too much. There are some topics that are always fun to share, though, including:
Know What Adds Value – A list of features and benefits does not add value. What adds value is the kind of results the customer will get from using the product/service. When they can picture themselves using your product without you even saying a single word, you've already sold them on it. One of the best performing engagement tools is a money-off coupon. It's just the nudge some people need to try something for the first time: Notice how low the word "sale" ranks on this chart. And if you've tried these points and still aren't getting the kind of response you've hoped for, take heart. Even the top brands on Facebook have an average 0.5% engagement level. There may be some awkward silence at first, but in time, as you continue to deliver value and reach out to people, they'll warm up and respond with ideas, feedback, suggestions, and discussion that will make all of your marketing efforts go much smoother. What Are Your Thoughts?Have you had good results advertising on Facebook? Or are a few "bad apple" marketers spoiling it for the rest? Share your thoughts and opinions below! About the Author: Sherice Jacob helps business owners improve website design and increase conversion rates through compelling copywriting, user-friendly design and smart analytics analysis. Learn more at iElectrify.com and download your free web copy tune-up and conversion checklist today!       |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The KISSmetrics Marketing Blog To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
